Guide to Roller Skating

While the first invention of a roller skate that was attached to the feet dates back to the 18th Century, the first patent for a crude roller skate dates back to 1819. In the years since, the design of roller skates have changed drastically, but the enjoyment that people have gotten from roller skating has not.

In 1819, French inventor M. Petitblad created a very basic roller skate that is similar in concept to today’s inline skates. However, the design was very poor with skaters having great deal of trouble maneuvering the skates. But the idea for attaching wheels to people's feet was born.

In 1863, James Plimpton created the first quad skate, where two sets of wheels were on the skate, side-by-side. The design of the skate allowed skaters the ability to easily maneuver and turn. Because of the ease of use, the popularity of skates started to increase leading to the first roller skating rink appearing in 1866.

Over the course of the next hundred years, the quad skate continued to increase in popularity, with various improvements added over time. The popularity of the skate, made skating one of the fastest growing activities, with roller rinks opening all around the world. During the early to mid 20th century the roller rink became a center in towns and cities where people of all ages could meet and skate to the popular music of the time.

In the later part of the 20th century, inline skates, which have only one row of wheels in a line, became popular. The design of the inline skates where similar to ice skates, with skaters using the same motion to start and stop. Inline skates, also called rollerblades, started to become popular are skating rinks started to close and people began to skate outdoors for exercise.

However, during the development of the roller skate, they have been used for a variety of competitive events. Competitions started to develop in speed roller skating, roller dancing and even in the rough and tumble world of roller derby. The development of the inline skate has led to inline hockey games being played, not on ice, but on either indoor or outdoor paved rinks. The invention of the inline skate had allowed ice hockey players to play year round, either on or off the ice.

Roller skating and roller skates have seen tremendous changes during the past couple of centuries. From very basic skates to the elaborate, inline skates of today, roller skates are still a popular item for people looking for fun and exercise.

For more information on roller skates and roller skating, we have gathered a collection of resources: